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From:  "Lloyd W. Hanson" <lloyd.hanson@n...>
Date:  Thu Feb 27, 2003  3:12 am
Subject:  Opening the Jaw

Dear Vocalisters:

I am wondering why the concern about opening the jaw a particular
amount for singing. There is no need for this concern. Singers will
naturally open the jaw as needed and that need will be determined by
the necessity for being heard. The degree of jaw or mouth opening is
determined by the size of mouth, the loft of the zygomatic arch, the
size of the jaw, the width of the soft and hard palate, the degree of
pharyngeal expansion and other less important factors. To even
suggest that the singers should open the jaw three fingers width is
to deny the individual differences found in each singer.

It must be remembered that phonated sound is amplified by adjustments
of the vocal tract (that space from the vocal folds to the facial
lips) and it is the adjustments of this primary resonating chamber
that gives the voice its tone quality and its vocal power. In this
regard, every singer is different. A singer with a larger buccal
cavity (mouth cavity), especially if it possesses a high palatial
arch, will not need to open the mouth very much. A singer with a
wide but not very lofted palatial arch will need to open the mouth a
greater degree. Jessey Norman has a wide but low palatial
arch,consequently she must open the mouth very substantially. Renee
Flemming, by contrast, has, evidently, a high palatial arch and thus
less need to produce a large mouth opening on anything but the
highest notes. Individual differrences. It makes a choral group
look very individual but it is the best way for singers to find their
own resonating equilibrium which will produce their own maximum
resonance.

In short, don't concern yourself with how much the singer opens the
mouth. Concern yourself with how well the singer is resonating
his/her tone. Is the tone rich, warm, ringing. Or is it loud,
hollow, hooty or harsh. The adjustments of the vocal tract determine
these qualities. And these vocal tract adjustments are individual
based on the conformation of the individual vocal tract. All uses of
the vocal tract must be, by nature, flexible, adjustable, and ever
changing. There is no given position that is best for all vocal
tracts. In fact, there is no defined position that is correct for
any INDIVIDUAL vocal tract. A singers resonating chamber (vocal
tract) is one of his/her two primary voice generators (the other is
his/her phonation). A knowledge of vocal function is primary
--
Lloyd W. Hanson







  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date  
22891 Re: Opening the JawChristine Thomasmezzoid Thu  2/27/2003  
22899 Re: Opening the JawSteve Fraser <Steve.Fraser@j...>dstevenfraser Thu  2/27/2003  
23210 Re: Opening the JawDeborahsingsoprano2003 Mon  3/10/2003  
23222 Re: Opening the JawSteve Fraserdstevenfraser Tue  3/11/2003  
22900 Re: Opening the JawDeborah Spencersingsoprano2003 Thu  2/27/2003  
23211 Re: Opening the JawDeborahsingsoprano2003 Mon  3/10/2003  
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